February 11, 2025
| Elk by Signe Hurd |
For the ninth season in a row, Mission FeederWatch and our sponsor Wild Birds Limitless are rewarding registered FeederWatchers with the possibility to win prizes. Celestron has joined the enjoyable by providing one pair of binoculars to every knowledge entry contest winner as effectively. After coming into counts into the FeederWatch web site, on the submission affirmation web page, individuals have the chance to share a narrative, reminiscence, or tip by clicking the “Enter to Win” button. Two winners shall be chosen at random per immediate. Our third Knowledge Entry Contest immediate of the thirty eighth season was:
Together with birds, mammals can be common guests at fowl feeders. Inform us a few memorable mammal you could have seen at or round your feeders!
Congratulations to our winners, Joan Sutliff and Alida Bockino!
Joan shared:
One evening, I flipped on the surface gentle to see if it was snowing (as forecasted) and I occurred to catch a flying squirrel midflight! It glided from an oak tree within the entrance yard all the best way round to the facet of the home, in direction of the feeder, just a little off on the touchdown. I’ve a sense it would begin emptying out my feeders. In the event you’ve by no means seen one, they’re tremendous cute with their huge eyes.
The title “flying squirrel” is a misnomer – they use pores and skin membranes to glide, quite than fly like a fowl. Flying squirrels are usually nocturnal, which means it could be very troublesome to rely them for FeederWatch (we don’t permit counting after darkish), however nonetheless, they could be a rather more thrilling sight than the everyday grey or purple squirrel. If in case you have squirrel guests which can be much less welcome, you could possibly forestall them from reaching fowl meals with baffles or squirrel-proof feeders. See extra recommendations on deterring undesirable feeder guests on our Feeding Birds web page.
Alida shared:
I’ve had many mammals round my feeders – squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, canines, cats, deer and even elk. The most important was an impressive Bull Elk. He settled in close to the feeder pole and nibbled on sunflower seeds on the bottom. He by no means messed with the tube feeders, by no means broken something, and after some time, the birds got here again as he simply watched them. He spent a number of hours resting there and ultimately wandered off and ate some fruit on my neighbor’s timber.
Birds aren’t the one ones that admire what your yard supplies! Assets in your habitat equivalent to native vegetation and water sources can profit the birds and different wildlife by offering meals, shelter, and extra. Discover recommendations on learn how to panorama your yard and enhance your habitat on our Gardening for Birds web page.
Because of everybody who participated and shared their tales for this immediate – we want we might share your whole submissions! Electronic mail [email protected] with questions, and skim the tales from previous winners on our weblog. Keep tuned for after we announce the subsequent winners of our subsequent knowledge entry contest on March eleventh, 2025.
Serious about changing into a FeederWatcher? Be a part of the enjoyable now!
